IAM Driving Assessment

50Twuncle

I have just applied for an Institute of Advanced Motorists Driving assessment - on account of one or two
near misses recently
I have been driving for almost 35 years - accident free !!
Have any of you lot had an assessment ?
How was it ?

loskie

I had one arranged through work. A half day assessment. Was nervous beforehand but really quite enjoyed it. The instructor was ex traffic police instructor. A very practical course. I passed my test in 1988 and have driven between 60000 and 20000m per year since.

Strider590

I haven't but a friend has, he said that the IAM recommend and teach certain things that can agro other drivers. For instance the use of the horn to inform lane hoggers of your presence was something they taught in the 1960's, but would certainly cause a road rage incident these days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE82FZpq0qM at 1:10


They are advocates of only using indicators when needed, thinking being that indicating out of habit shows your not reading the surroundings at all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVWQ1xSIMxY at 3:45

You also don't always need to indicate to change lanes left on a normally flowing motorway, because driving in the left lane is normal, lanes 2 and 3 are overtaking lanes and overtaking is a single manoeuvre.

No matter what you do, you won't "pass" an assessment if they're judging by the standard required for passing the IAM training.

50Twuncle

loskie wrote: »

I had one arranged through work. A half day assessment. Was nervous beforehand but really quite enjoyed it. The instructor was ex traffic police instructor. A very practical course. I passed my test in 1988 and have driven between 60000 and 20000m per year since.

I must have driven over 0.5 million miles in the last 35 years (I passed my test first time in 1981)
ie To the moon - without a single accident
But feel that a look at my driving would not be a bad thing.....

SailorSam

I past my motor bike test at 16, the car at 17, and i'm 63 now. Although i think of myself as a good driver, probably a little bit to careful at times. I think i've probably picked up so many bad habits which are now second nature, i don't think i'd have a cat-in-hells chance of passing an advanced test.

50Twuncle

SailorSam wrote: »

I past my motor bike test at 16, the car at 17, and i'm 63 now. Although i think of myself as a good driver, probably a little bit to careful at times. I think i've probably picked up so many bad habits which are now second nature, i don't think i'd have a cat-in-hells chance of passing an advanced test.

It's not a test (as in pass/fail) - it is just an assessment to point out any bad habits !

Strider590

SailorSam wrote: »

I past my motor bike test at 16, the car at 17, and i'm 63 now. Although i think of myself as a good driver, probably a little bit to careful at times. I think i've probably picked up so many bad habits which are now second nature, i don't think i'd have a cat-in-hells chance of passing an advanced test.

Nobody would, not without the training. But interestingly some of the habits you pick up from experience are actually what they want to see, like reading the road and positioning the car appropriately for hazards, not driving excessively slowly or using signals excessively.

The standard driving test is about understanding the basics, the rest is left for us to learn through experience, the problems start when people learn bad habits and/or make excuses for why their bad habits are correct. There are some people who swear you are supposed to indicate right when going straight over a roundabout for example or those who say "it's a limit not a target" to excuse the fact their eyesight is so bad that they can't do more than 20mph.

z1a

50Twuncle wrote: »

I must have driven over 0.5 million miles in the last 35 years (I passed my test first time in 1981)
ie To the moon - without a single accident
But feel that a look at my driving would not be a bad thing.....

Not really a lot to hit on the way to the moon.

50Twuncle

z1a wrote: »

Not really a lot to hit on the way to the moon.

There are many statellites and other space junk ..
take for example the Clangers !

gilbert_and_sullivan

If you decide to take and pass the IAM test, then Cornmarket insurance will take you on and your days of expensive insurance are over.

As for near misses i wouldn't worry about it, the country is full of people who can barely walk on their two hind legs and grunt, avoiding these fools whether on foot or behind the wheel is now a full time job from the second you leave your home.

50Twuncle

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

If you decide to take and pass the IAM test, then Cornmarket insurance will take you on and your days of expensive insurance are over.

What ?
Even less than the £250 that myself and wife currently pay for two cars - comprehensive with tiny excesses on cars worth £40k combined ?